This week’s design is something that is dear to me. The design is called Free to Preach. It shows the American flag with embers at the end of it. Next to the flag is part of the first amendment to the Constitution. This amendment provides for both freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Sadly, both of these freedoms are under attack today. The freedom of religion is grounded in the history of the United States. When the first settlers came to this land, it was because they desired to worship the God of the Bible they way they felt the scriptures told them to and not how the state told them to.

In England, the church and the crown were closely tied together and often oppressed the common people. When the Constitution was ratified, a few states only did so with the condition that the Constitution would be amended with certain rights spelled out. The fact that freedom of religion is one of them speaks volumes on the focus of our founders. The founders were not out to “separate church and state” like so many today seem to think. They were out to keep the government from telling them how they could or couldn’t worship. Unfortunately, any time someone mentions freedom of religion, the “separation of church and state” invariably comes up, even though it’s not in the Constitution. The phrase is in a response by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists. The Baptists were concerned that the proposed amendment would allow the federal government to impose whatever rules and regulations they desired onto the beliefs of the people. Jefferson assured the Baptists that the amendment would insure that the freedom to worship God would not be hindered by the federal government. Sadly, the very thing the Baptists were worried about has come to pass. The federal government now controls much of what is said and done by Christians. In today’s time, you can promote any religion at all, except Christianity. Muslims can teach their doctrines in schools, Hindus are promoting yoga in kindergarten classes, and Atheists can teach evolution without fear of reprimand; but if you are a Christian and you try to promote Jesus Christ, you are attacked from every side. Bible clubs have a hard time getting recognition or allowance to exist, biblical evidence for the origins of the universe aren’t allowed to even be discussed (even a purely scientific critique of evolution is not allowed – what are they afraid of if their “theory” is so watertight?), and the moral laws of God cannot be promoted (even though they are exactly what our country needs and the only thing that will help our nation stop it slide into complete darkness).

Why is it that this only happens to Christianity? Why is it that the majority of Christians are fighting an uphill battle to regain the freedom that all other religions so readily enjoy? The answer is actually quite simple. While people have no problem talking about Buddha, Allah, Brahma or any number of other false “gods”, they are simply afraid of Jesus Christ. Of course they won’t admit it. To do so would admit that He’s real while the others are not. But their refusal to admit that they are scared of Jesus doesn’t make it any less true. Why do you think that the atheistic scientists on every level fight so vehemently to keep creation out of schools? Because they know that if their so-called “theory” comes up against the truth, they won’t stand a chance. And when their “theory” disintegrates into the fairy tale that it is, they will be faced with the truth that God exists and that they are accountable for all of their sins. Why do Muslims so violently attack Christians for the smallest of imagined offenses? It’s because they know that if they don’t continuously fight against the truth with blind rage and anger, they will have to stop and think about that truth and they don’t want to do that. If they did, they would be forced to admit that they have been chasing a lie their entire lives and they are too proud to do that. Why do homosexuals mock Christians and speak out against them so much? They have to. If they didn’t attack Christians so relentlessly, they would have to admit that their entire lifestyle was an abomination to God. They would no longer be able to live in the sinful lifestyle they have created for themselves. And they love that sin more than they love anything else. So they attack the representatives of the God that they can’t ignore in hopes that their barbed words and injurous actions will placate their guilt ridden consciences. And on and on it goes. The Hindus, the Buddhists, the post-moderns, the Mormans, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the secular humanists, and the false converts all join in with the others to attack Christianity. They do so because they can’t hurt the God they hate. Instead, they hurt His children.

The grace of God has told us through scripture that those who truly belong to Christ will be hated by everyone else. Those who speak the truth about sin, hell, and judgment will be mocked, attacked, and even killed for what they believe in. This is somewhat reassuring to those who are being persecuted for their faith (how small are the numbers in America?) and it should be a source of concern to those who claim to belong to Christ and are not persecuted at all…In America we are still Free to Preach…for now…are you preaching?